By Shaykh Abdul Qayum
24 April 2026

﷽ 

My dear brothers and sisters, I want to begin by speaking about something many of us feel but rarely admit openly. We go through waves of anxiety, fear about the future, a sense of failure, and a lack of inner peace. Sometimes, even in our worship, we struggle. We stand in prayer, but we don’t feel it. We open the Qur’an, but our hearts feel distant. Yet often, we look for peace and solutions from other than Allah, while forgetting to turn to the One who holds true strength, relief, and guidance.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not leave this Ummah without guidance. He identified the diseases of the heart, and he gave us the cure, clearly, practically, and completely. That cure is to seek help from Allah, to perfect our reliance upon Him, and to surrender to His decree.

But what does it really mean to seek help from Allah?

It means to truly believe, with certainty, that no benefit and no harm can afflict us without Allah’s decree. It means knowing that every affair – every success, every failure, every ease, every hardship – is in the hands of Allah alone. It means turning to Him not just in times of hardship, but even when life feels easy. It means worshipping Him while recognising our own weakness and our desperate need for Him.

And this is why Allah teaches us a du‘a that we repeat in every single rak‘ah of our salah:

Think about that. We are admitting, five times a day, that even our worship is incomplete without His help. We are saying: “O Allah, I cannot even pray properly unless You assist me.” This is a plea. A plea for help in our deen, in our dunya, in every aspect of our lives.

One of the scholars beautifully said: “Whoever is inspired to seek Allah’s help has already been granted success.” And another said: “I am amazed at the one who does not seek help from Allah, yet hopes for relief. How can relief come while the heart is disconnected from Allah?”

SubhanAllah. That is the reality.

Brothers and sisters, we must also recognise that we are weak. Allah Himself tells us:

No matter how strong you think you are – your wealth, your health, your position – it can all change in a moment. One test, one hardship, one unexpected event, and suddenly you feel fragile, helpless, lost.

So where do we turn?

Allah answers this clearly:

Our strength does not come from self-confidence. It comes from complete reliance upon Allah alone.

And the Prophet ﷺ said:

A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, though there is good in both.

Then he ﷺ gave us a powerful framework for life. He said: strive for that which benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not give up. If something afflicts you and you could not overcome it, then do not say “if only I had done this or that.” Rather say:

“Allah decreed, and He does what He wills.”

Because the word “if” opens the door to Shaytan. It fills the heart with regret, blame, and endless what-ifs. But the believer closes that door with contentment in the decree of Allah.

Brothers and sisters, seeking help from Allah is not limited to big matters. It is in everything – in our deen and in our dunya.

The Prophet ﷺ once held the hand of Mu‘adh and said: “I love you.” Then he ﷺ taught him a simple du‘a to say after every prayer:

“O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You in the best manner.”

Even in our worship, we need help. Even in our dhikr, we need help. Even in our gratitude, we need help.

And the Prophet ﷺ also said:

“Let one of you ask his Lord for all of his needs – even for the strap of his sandal when it breaks.”

Nothing is too small. Nothing is insignificant. Every need – big or small – we turn to Allah.

Because reliance upon Allah is not just an action – it is a relationship. As was said, reliance upon Allah is half of the deen, and the other half is turning back to Him.

So my dear brothers and sisters, in every difficulty, in every hardship, in every moment of confusion, come back to Allah. Don’t let your heart remain disconnected while you search for answers to your problems everywhere else.

We go looking everywhere for answers and relief, but we forget to turn to Allah, even though He is the One Who controls everything.

O Allah, make us from those who truly rely upon You. O Allah, strengthen our hearts with iman and connection to You. O Allah, help us to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You in the best way. O Allah, grant us peace in our hearts and contentment in Your decree. 

Ameen.

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